Returning guest, Julie Charlestein, President, CEO, and fourth-generation leader of Premier Dental discusses the challenges facing dentists as they re-enter the care dynamic in the COVID-19 era and ways in which she’s revamped her family’s business to continue to make a difference during a time of challenge for the dental market.
INTERVIEWS
Abbott – DISTINCT Trial for Chronic Low Back Pain
Dr. Allen Burton, MD, Medical Director at Abbott Neuromodulation, discusses the DISTINCT trial (Dorsal spInal cord STImulatioN vs mediCal management for the Treatment of low back pain) that will investigate the effectiveness of Abbott’s BurstDRTM spinal cord stimulation (SCS) in patients with chronic low back pain that have not had any surgeries and where other therapies have been unsuccessful or not an option.
Cala Health – Cala Trio™ Non-Invasive Non-Drug Therapy Treatment for Essential Tremor
Kate Rosenbluth, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at Cala Health discusses the impact of patients living with essential tremors (ET). She talks about the inner workings of the Cala Trio™, a new, wrist-worn bioelectronic device, that is the only non-invasive, non-drug therapy that goes directly to the source of tremor by delivering advanced targeted therapy that safely and effectively reduces hand tremors. This new approach harnesses the advances in neuroscience, nerve excitation, and electronics miniaturization and decades of neuromodulation experience to improve care for patients with ET.
Study Finds Possible Breakthrough in Treating Incurable Neurological Conditions
Dr. Benjamin Segal, co-director of the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center’s Neurological Institute discusses study findings published in the journal “Nature Immunology” (26 Oct 2020) that showed a novel type of immune cell not only prevents further damage of the central nervous system, but also reverses damage and restores function. Researchers hope this discovery will lead to new therapeutic breakthroughs as well as previously unheard of recovery for those with neurological diseases and injuries such as ALS, multiple sclerosis, stroke, or a traumatic brain or spine injury.
Air Force Optimal Nutrition and Peak Performance Study
Matt Kuchan, PhD, Research Fellow and discovery scientist in Research and Development, the global brain health platform and science lead for Abbott’s partnership with the Center for Nutrition Learning and Memory at the University of Illinois discusses a new study published in “Scientific Reports” (19 Oct 2020) that confirms that proper nutrition not only fuels our bodies and improves fitness, but also provides a mental edge. Researchers from the U.S. Air Force, University of Illinois and Abbott found that airmen who consumed a high-protein nutrition drink with specific ingredients to target muscle and cognitive function were able to improve working memory and reaction time, increase muscle mass, and lower resting heart rate.
Lung Cancer Awareness – Worth The Fight – Taking on Lung Cancer
Danielle Hicks, Chief Patient Officer at the GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer shares her personal story of becoming a caregiver for her mother when she was diagnosed with lung cancer. Through her own experience, and in connecting with patients and caregivers directly every day, Danielle knows the importance of providing the patient community with tangible resources and stories of inspiration, particularly now amidst the pandemic. She talks about why GO2 Foundation is collaborating with Merck on the patient program “Worth the Fight: Taking on Lung Cancer” which empowers lung cancer caregivers and survivors to take an active role in their cancer care.
Racing for a COVID-19 Cure
Dr. Jeremy Levin, Chairman of the global Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) and Chairman and CEO of OVID Therapeutics, Inc. discusses his perspective on vaccinations and his open letter to members of the biopharmaceutical industry which outlines how public health, and the public’s trust in new medical products, are dependent upon the integrity, transparency and objective assessment of new data as it emerges. He talks about why In the summer of 2020, he gathered 47 top leaders in biopharma to co-author “Biotechnology in the Time of COVID-19: Commentaries from the Front Line” (RosettaBooks).
Breast Cancer Awareness – Lymphedema
Dr. Sheri Prentiss, MD, best selling author and Certified Physician Executive, discusses her own personal breast cancer story and her partnership with medtech company ImpediMed®, whose product is used to help doctors detect and treat lymphedema as early as possible with an eye toward preventing it from becoming chronic. She is the founder of the Live Today Foundation that serves the breast cancer survivor community and is focused on the need to help survivors win the battle that most face at some point: the development of lymphedema.
Pegloticase in Patients Undergoing Dialysis
Returning guest, Dr. Brad Marder a nephrologist for nearly 20 years and now Medical Director of Nephrology at Horizon Therapeutics discusses findings from the Renal Data System study, on which he was an author, and how KRYSTEXXA (pegloticase) is applied in real-world care for people who receive dialysis for advanced kidney disease. These data were presented at the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) 2020, Abstract PO1166 titled “A USRDS Database Study on the Use of Pegloticase in Patients Undergoing Dialysis”
Uncontrolled Gout in Kidney Transplant Patients
Dr. Abdul Abdellatif, MD, assistant professor, Baylor College of Medicine and primary investigator on the “Pegloticase for Uncontrolled Gout in Kidney Transplant Recipients: Early Data Report of a Multicenter, Open-Label, Efficacy and Safety” Study, otherwise known as PROTECT, discusses the latest data from this study that was presented at the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) 2020 (Abstract PO2481). He also explains strategies to effectively manage uncontrolled gout within the vulnerable post-transplant population that will not compromise kidney function or transplantation.